Florida case against Meta for manipulating kids to keep them hooked is sent to California

Share
social media
Social media apps on an iPhone. Illustration by hapabapa via iStock for WMNF News.

©2023 The News Service of Florida

A lawsuit filed by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody against social media giant Meta has been transferred to California, where similar cases are pending.

The United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation issued an order last week transferring Moody’s lawsuit from Tampa.

The order said it appears the lawsuit involves “questions of fact that are common to the actions previously transferred to the Northern District of California and assigned” to Oakland-based U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.

Moody filed the lawsuit Oct. 24, alleging that Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, uses “manipulative” features to keep minors hooked on the social media platforms.

The lawsuit contended that Meta has violated a law known as the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, which prohibits “unfair methods of competition, unconscionable acts or practices, and unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the conduct of any trade or commerce.”

The lawsuit also alleges the company violated the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.

It came on the same day that 33 other states filed a similar case in California. Meta pushed back by saying it has tools to protect minors who use the platforms.

The company also pointed to “the complexity of mental health” and various challenges that teens face outside of concerns related to social media.

Last week’s order said the parties could oppose a transfer of the Florida case. As of Tuesday afternoon, a court docket did not include any notices of opposition.

Leave a Reply

  • (will not be published)

XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

You may also like

student meal
Next school year Hillsborough public schools are offering free meals

Hillsborough Public Schools are offering students free meals for the...

Correspondence Through Poetry. A Mind-Numbing Week.

Father Verses Sons: A Correspondence in Poems by Herbert Gold...

The sound of change: Music’s influence on anti-war and human rights movements

Throughout history, music has served as a powerful catalyst for...

a man in a tye dye shirt talking on a radio microphone
Recreational pot for Florida is on the ballot this fall—let’s talk about it

In four months, Florida voters have the opportunity to vote...

Ways to listen

WMNF is listener-supported. That means we don't advertise like a commercial station, and we're not part of a university.

Ways to support

WMNF volunteers have fun providing a variety of needed services to keep your community radio station alive and kickin'.

Follow us on Instagram

Gospel Classic Hour
Player position: